Songwriter Randy Newman sparked quite a bit of interest in the U.K. as early as 1965 but hit pay dirt when Alan Price took his "Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear" all the way to #4 (and it is alleged resulted in Newman securing a recording contract in America with Reprise records). Here are ten British readings of some of Randy's tracks released in the Sixties. Enjoy!
1. DUFFY POWER-"Davy O'Brien (Leave That Baby Alone)" U.K. Parlophone R 5631 1967
Originally released as "Leave That Baby Alone" by Saturday's Children in the US on Dunwich in May 1967, Davy Graham issued his version of this number in October with a full own treatment thanks to the incredible brass and arrangement courtesy of Mike Vickers. Is this a tale of lecherous intent or well meaning moral upstanding? We'll never know but Davy delivers the goods making this my favorite Randy Newman reading ever!
https://youtu.be/HafLjOZBQ9I?si=Pj6m1Md047C5URdR
The hits had long dried up for the Nashville Teens when Decca issued this as their tenth (and next to last) 45. This Newman track may have been an attempt to restart their career (Alan Price did a version on his second British album "A Price On His Head"). It's neo-rag time feel (in no small part to the barrel house Ivory tinkling) is a sign of the times but alas it was not really suited to the Teens.
https://youtu.be/9iZJdpflENY?si=hhqvlyBbXmZREYmO
3. MANFRED MANN-"So Long Dad" UK Fontana TF 862 1967
The Manfred's got the first version of this ditty out (Alan Price later recorded it as well) and it is probably my favorite reading of it. It's boozy, bluesy and incredibly intricate with a nice mix of barroom piano, harpsichord and Mellotron. Riding the crest of that whole Vaudevillian vibe Mike D'Abo and the boys easily handle this sentimental ode to father/son relations.
https://youtu.be/hI647B5ecyc?si=OYHCKJTFGNPRfdc5
4. BILLY FURY-"Baby Do You Love Me?" U.K. Parlophone R 5658 1967
By 1967 Billy Fury, like all of his contemporaries was struggling against the tide. His management were trying everything to get him back in the game (his next single would be a Bee Gee number on one side and a Bowie track on the flip) and he too jumped on the Newman train. Sadly this one is incredibly tepid and reeks of chicken in the basket and stale ciggies and even a Randy Newman/Midas touch on the song writing credits could put Billy back together again.
https://youtu.be/Paic_cjBLtk?si=QsPOblOWX2N-lwdP
5. CILLA BLACK-"I've Been Wrong Before" U.K. Parlophone R 5269 1965
Cilla gets kudos for being the first British artist to record a Randy Newman number. Randy himself was rather pleased with the results and took the time to frequently compliment it in interviews. I'm not a huge Cilla fan and I will admit this does absolutely nothing for me and it's inclusion here is merely for historical purposes. Next!
https://youtu.be/ly-vr-NqZ3w?si=LMRw8wTi2fkPDw-l
6. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD-"I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore" U.S. Atlantic 45-2623 1969
Dusty was late to the Newman party when she cut this one for her oft praised "Dusty In Memphis" LP in 1969. Lyrically it's probably my favorite Newman track, a wonderful social observation about apartment building gossip (previously recorded by The Walker Brothers and prior to that masterfully cut by Jerry Butler). With those two previous versions in mind this leaves me flat. Sorry.
https://youtu.be/PeAliPIwvYw?si=ab79p1Se3kVHH507
7. ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS-"Mama Told Me Not To Come" France EP Barclay 071081
1966
Originally slated to be the flip side Eric Burdon's first post Animals single "Help Me Girl" on Decca in the U.K. it was hastily withdrawn and issued instead with "See See Rider" on the flip. It was however released as an E.P. track in France AND on his first post Animals U.S. LP "Eric Is Here". Long before Three Dog Night took it to the top Eric interpreted it first. The music reminds me a lot of his ex-band mate's venture The Alan Price Set meets his drinking buddy Georgie Fame and it's lyrically suited to Burdon's then reputation as an all out looner. Interesting!
https://youtu.be/wf-XHK4YH1w?si=VuPNV7wJXAE9Ac6T
8. JULIE DRISCOLL-"If You Should Ever Leave Me" U.K. Parlophone R 5588 1967
Tucked away on the flip of her opus "I Know You Love Me Not", Jools ratchets up the emotions with a lush arrangement by Reg Guest. Unfortunately at the end it sounds like the number is out of her range AND it literally sounds like she's sobbing (talk about raw emotion) but the very Walker Brothers meets Dusty orchestration makes it incredible and therefore indispensable .
https://youtu.be/PzsiYqazaaE?si=o47z5iKmyMtU6Mwn
9. THE PERSUASIONS-"Big Brother" U.K. Columbia DB 7700 1965
Coming out in September 1965 this one joins Cilla in being one of the earliest U.K. recordings of a Randy Newman track. The Persuasions were an oft overlooked British band that had a fairly innocuous soul sound and this recording is actually fairly interesting falling somewhere between a beat ballad and jazzy and moody mod r&b.
https://youtu.be/aAfgMyqvUII?si=GfSgTQMrnOLGELrr
10. ALAN PRICE SET-"Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear" U.K. Decca F 12570 1967
Originally released by Tommy Boyce in the States on A&M the previous year, Alan Price became one of the most prodigious British interpreters of Newman's material (his second LP "A Price On His Head" contained no less than 7 of his tunes on it) and that is no better exemplified than in this brilliant little jaunty track. It's bubbly, kitschy and happy and gave Price his biggest selling British single.
https://youtu.be/sVulPluv5jo?si=l9nHXxl5yI-Ep9WE
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